Apologies for the long post but I was absolutely stoked to see the performance of these 2 players on the weekend. It was special because for the first time in a long time we saw our halves combining on multiple occasions in a positive manner. I fkn loved it.
One thing that has improved massively each week since Sullivan has played in the halves is our structure in attack. He's helping Hunt organise shape which means depth in attack & correct positioning. There's a fluidity in our attack now compared to when Amone was involved. Sullivan underrated skill is organisation, he's organised more & more each week. Massive kudos to the young man. Some observations watching live on the hill (how bloody good was the atmosphere!)
Positives:
1. Organisation in attack, detailed a bit above but organisation was great on both sides of the ball.
2. Running game, both halves had strong running games. I was impressed with Sullivans footwork & support play.
3. Defence, both halves were desperate with their defence. This include repeat efforts to tackle the opposition player & cover dangerous space.
4. Cohesion, there was cohesion between both players that was clearly evident. You could see it through multiple link ups between them on both sides of the field. I loved it, it's something lacking with other teams who have halves playing predominantly right or left side of the field. This should be encouraged further & could be an excellent advantage over other teams. We don't see it enough in the NRL imo.
5. Link with Liddle, first time since this combination was established that we've seen cohesion with Liddle. Last week there were numerous instances where liddle didn't know who to pass it too or there was miscommunication between all 3 players. I didn't see it occur too much against the rabbits.
Negatives:
1. Kicking, this was the only major negative & it's something that can be improved quickly for next game. I'm unsure if it's a directive from the coaches, Hunt or Sullivan but Hunt was too dominating with the kicking. Multiple times Hunt got caught out because the Rabbits knew he was the only one kicking. He got lucky this week but it will be exposed in the future. I also thought his accuracy on the kicks was lacking.
Sullivan needs to do more kicking moving forwards, firstly he's a great kick both long & short. Secondly, it'll allow less pressure on our kickers because the opposition won't be able to load up on just one player. They'll need to cover both players giving more time for either Hunt or Sullivan to put in a dangerous kick. I hope we see this improve for next game.
Fingers crossed we see this combination continue for the majority of the season. We'll see ups & downs but we need to persist as I think it could be a golden combination. It would address both short term & long term needs. Short term with us being a more dangerous attacking team, long term it allows Sullivan to gain experience without the pressure of being the main half which will be invaluable once Hunt leaves/retires in a couple of years.
Wishful thinking but I think this combination could set up Sullivan to be a gun half for the next decade. I've got massive wraps on Sullivan but we must have Hunt supporting him to alleviate pressure & pass on his learnings. We're pretty fortunate to have 2 halves who both have great running & kicking games. I think it's a massive advantage on all other clubs but we need to persist with it for as long as possible.
